


A Home in Unknown Nations

by LittleMissCactus



Category: Original Work
Genre: ? at times?, Action/Adventure, Cecaelias, Fantasy, Future, LATER, Mermaids, Multi, Post-Apocalypse, Romance, Underwater, aquatic, merfolk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2017-09-27
Packaged: 2018-11-18 05:21:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11284518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissCactus/pseuds/LittleMissCactus
Summary: 3,000 years ago, we were men. But as ice started to melt, water levels started to rise until the entire earth was covered. Some managed to adapt to their new environment, and slowly changed to match the climate of the waters closest to their landmass of origin. Of course, now that everyone lives closer together, it no longer really matters for their survival, but the changes remained, leaving behind four races in four nations. The merfolk, originating from the Americas, developed the lower body of a fish and lived in a nation known as Tr'Ta. The cecaelia from Africa and Oceania had the lower body of an octopus. They occupied the nation of Samra and kept to themselves. The tinskas were from Asia, primarily Russia, and had the lower body of a manatee, the only species remaining completely mammal. They created a country known as Myaba. Finally, the morssons were once European. They started off as merfolk, but delved far deeper underwater than the merfolk ever could, and evolved to look just as strange as all of the other creatures at the bottom of the ocean.With two nations on the brink of war, all four races must come to a consensus before fighting and violence flood them all, but how do you reason with sworn enemies?





	1. Chapter 1

The room was silent as I swam up to the podium. I could hear my tail swishing the water around anxiously as I cleared my throat. “I speak on behalf of my father, Emperor of Tr'ta.” I don't know why I had to start with that bit. Everyone knew my face by now. “War-” My throat tightened at the word and I coughed quietly before starting again. “War is on our doorstep, and we must find a way to deal with it.”

How did this happen? Only a few weeks ago I had been like any other Tr'tan, training for battle and gaining strength to fight for my nation. None of this political nonsense. I could tell that my father didn't like it either. It was bad politics to have a woman speak for a country. But he had no son. He only had me, and I would have to do. It was no minor speech, either. The cecaelia were growing too numerous. Sure, their way of life was quaint, but only while they remained a few hundred at most. Now, with their rapid growth of population and sudden scientific discoveries, they were threatening our way of life. If we weren't careful, merfolk would think that their kind of strange, lazy society could work for us, and where would that lead us? The only solution was to smite them out.

It seemed that I had zoned out for a moment while speaking to my audience, and they had started to grow restless.

“Princess?” a man near the front called. My face flushed.

“Excuse me. I have much on my mind. Anyways... in one of my boarder patrols, I have managed to capture two cecaelia. I know nothing of them, but as soon as this meeting is over, I will see what information I can extract from them.” I had to suppress a shudder. Cecaelia were ghastly creatures, with their blood red eyes, slimy tentacles in the place of a tail, and sickly sweet, childish demeanor. They were hiding something behind it, but no one knew what. Talking to one would be bad enough, let alone two. Still, I had to be brave for my father.

After answering a few questions, I sat down at the desk to the right of the podium. I was supposed to be taking notes, but my mind couldn't help but wander. What would the cecaelia be like? Were they going to kill me? Well... that was unlikely. They would remain in their cell at all times.

I tensed when I felt someone touch me, but quickly calmed down when I recognised Goha's familiar hands. Goha was my nanny when I was a very small child, and in more recent years, served as my maid and primary counselor.

“Dzaka... you haven't been getting enough sleep.” she scolded softly, starting to braid my hair so it stayed out of my face.

“I've been trying.” I sighed, “I've just been busy.”

“Too busy. When I was your age, I was still playing dolls in my attic.”

“Times have changed.”

Goha sighed. “That they have... Come. Let's get you to your room. I want you to at least take a nap before seeing the squid creatures.”

“Octopus.” I corrected, “And... yes, that would be nice. Thank you.”

Goha smiled and helped me up before leading me up to my bedroom. Even though it was still morning, she had already changed the sheets on my bed. I smiled weakly at her and laid down, allowing her to undo my cloak and wrap me in a blanket as I drifted off to sleep.

 


	2. Chapter 2

“Dzaka, are you sure you are ready?” Goha asked anxiously as she ran a brush through my hair.

“Yes, I am.” I really wasn't, but I had to do this. No more waiting.

A few maids had gathered around me, murmuring to each other under their breaths as they helped me to dress. One maid picked up a brush and started to paint a paste over my eyelids.

“A dark purple will look very nice on you.” she said with a smile, “It will help to bring out your green eyes.”

I groaned and rolled my eyes, but allowed her to paint it on.

“I really need to go.”

After far too much time, I was finally allowed to leave. My heart pounded in my chest as I swam down to the dungeon. It was so quiet down here... We rarely kept prisoners here in Tr'ta. All prisoners of war were killed on the spot, and criminals were put in a dungeon in the middle of nowhere. But I wanted to know more about these cecaelia. I swam closer to the cell they were kept in and peered through the bars. Inside were the two prisoners. One was a young woman. Her hair was tied back in an intricate braid and she had dark skin, as did most cecaelia. The boy, though, made her look deathly pale in comparison. He couldn't have been more than twelve years old, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. No... don't feel guilty. He's a cecaelia. He isn't worth shame.

Despite their situation, neither of them looked particularly afraid. The girl cradled the boy in his arms and murmured softly to him in a language I could not understand.

“ _Neda pito rekor shisa. Pit keen rekor kama_.”

The boy smiled up at her.

“ _Moot rekor keen kama_.”

I cleared my throat and they both glanced up at me. The girl swam towards the bars of the cell, lilac tentacles wrapping around the bars almost casually.

“Hello.” Her accent was light and airy, her vowels widely rounded and her consonants cut short, “I am Mira. To what do I owe the pleasure?” She was being sarcastic, but her smile seemed genuine enough. It sent chills down my spine.

“You may refer to me as Princess.” I huffed quietly, “I am Dzaka, daughter of the Emperor.”

“So formal. Why does your father matter in who you are?”

I paused, considering the question for a moment. “It shows my status.” She still seemed unimpressed, but said nothing. Trying to change the topic, I glanced at the boy. “You. What is your name?”

The boy looked at me, completely bewildered. “ _Moot pit keen traka_...”

“He does not understand.” Mira translated for me, “He only speaks Sameer. His name is Inama.”

Sameer. I had heard the name before, but had never heard the language spoken. It was never used outside of Samra, the strange nation of the cecaelia to the East.

“We need to know what you're planning. Your nation, I mean.” I said, getting to the point.

“Planning?” Mira asked with a light laugh, “We never plan anything in Samra.”

I rolled my eyes. “Who is your leader?”

“We have none.”

“Then who makes your laws?”

“The people. We have our own codes and abide by them. New ideas are gradually incorporated into everyday life rather than one person making an executive decision.”

“But doesn't that result in chaos?”

Mira shrugged, “Not really. It's always been this way, so people aren't as radical as they would be when oppressed by a government.”

I growled quietly at the wording and crossed my arms. “So how on earth are you growing so much if you have no government to guide you?”

Mira smiled. “There is no need to be intimidated by us. We don't wish to harm anyone. But to answer your question, we grow because people who work for pleasure work better than people who work because they have to.”

“Then why has it taken you so long to catch up to the rest of us?” I huffed.

Mira just laughed. “I don't know, and I don't particularly care. It isn't a contest.”

I nodded slowly and sighed before swimming up to my room. I sat down at my desk and picked up a pen. I needed to consider all of this... My father had to know the cecaelia's strange situation.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter, I know. But the next one is extra long to make up for it.

“But Father, this isn't right! These aren't diplomats. They're innocent civilians, and one is a child!”

“I don't care what they are. They are cecaelia. And if they are indeed just civilians, they can easily be replaced.”

“But you can't just kill them!”

“You're going soft.” The dagger glinted in my father's hand and he looked at me carefully. “You will kill them.”

“But I-”

“No buts! I want them disposed of by the end of the week.”

I bit my lip and reluctantly took the dagger from his hand. It wasn't my first time holding a weapon by a long shot, but it was the first time one felt quite so heavy in my hand. “...Yes, Father.”

“Good.” He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. “You will come to thank me for this. This is all for your own good, my dear. When I pass, I want to leave this kingdom without threats for you to manage.”

I smiled slightly. “I know, Father. I love you...”

“I love you too, Dzaka. Now, get some rest. You look tired.”

I nodded and stood up, sheathing the dagger in my cloak before swimming to my bedroom. The bed was already made for me and the curtains were drawn. I sighed softly and took off my cloak, hanging it up on my bedpost, then laid down in bed. I tried to fall asleep, but the image of the two cecaelia wouldn't leave my head. I couldn't kill them... But god knows what my father would do if I didn't. I sighed and covered my face with a pillow. Stop. I don't have to think about this right now. Maybe if I just closed my eyes... Sure enough, within a few seconds, I managed to drift off to sleep.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Several days passed and I did nothing. I had the dagger hidden in the bottom of a drawer. I couldn't help but hope that maybe if I ignored it for long enough, my problems would go away. They didn't. Before I knew it, it was the last day of the week. I had to fulfill my duty. Just as I opened the drawer to retrieve the dagger, there was a knock on my door.

“Come in!”

Goha entered the room and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“A group of morssons from Sprille have come seeking an audience from you.”

A chill ran down my spine at that, but I reluctantly nodded. “Alright... Tell them that I will be with them in ten minutes. Make them some tea.”

Oh god. I'd rather deal with ten thousand cecaelia than just one morsson. While cecaelia were frightening as we knew next to nothing about them, we knew fully well that morssons could kill us in less than a second if they chose to. They were certainly odd creatures. Despite having evolved from merfolk, they reproduced asexually, and their appearances were warped from living so deep underwater.

A group of five or six morssons sat in the hall. They were all dressed in a pale pink, a royal colour for the morssons, and one in the middle even wore a pearl-studded crown. Ironically, this was the one who looked the least serious.

“Ah, Princess Dzaka.” the crowned one greeted, “It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”

They swam towards me and extended their hand. I barely managed enough decency to shake it properly. The other morssons laughed at my obvious shock, murmuring to each other in their own language. Despite how strange and frankly terrifying the inhabitants were, the Sprillien tongue was by far the most beautiful language ever spoken, rivaled only by ancient Myaban.

“ _Rocesse_ Recel, it seems that our host is not accustomed to visitors.” one commented with a smirk. My face instantly paled at the title. The Rocesse was the highest possible status for a morsson, considered to be even higher than a king.

However, Recel just smiled, revealing large fangs. “No, I think she's smart. We're pretty spooky.” they said with a short laugh.

I had to take a moment to absorb their odd appearances. I had never seen a morsson in person before, only in books. They were even more terrible in person. Their skin was pale, almost grey, and their hair a dull green, always cut short so as to not hide their long, pointed ears. Perhaps the strangest aspect, though, was the little orb of light dangling in front of their face like that of an angler fish. In the well-lit hall, they looked more comical than anything, but I knew fully well that in the dark, all you would be able to see from the light were their razor fangs and small, dark eyes.

“I'm not sure about Tr'Ta, but in Sprille, it's considered rude to stare.” Recel smirked.

“Ah... forgive me. Your companions are right, I've never actually seen a morsson in person before.” I said feebly, embarrassed.

Recel took a sip of their tea and looked at me carefully. “So it has come to my attention that you have two cecaelia held captive.”

I nearly choked in surprise. How did the news reach them so quickly? It was an eight day trip between the two closest major cities in Tr'Ta and Sprille, let alone the capitols. Dzadas was to the far north-east of Tr'Ta, and Arcusse was in the south-west of Sprille. They were as far apart as you could get. So if I had only captured the cecaelia a week ago, how on earth did the morssons have time to not only receive the news, but also get here? Seeming to read my mind, Recel smiled.

“ _Man piten_ , we were planning on visiting anyways. There have been concerns about Tr'Tan and Sameer relations.”

“ _Piten_? That is small, right?” My Sprillien was weak, to say the least, but I did know three or four words. “Why would you call me small?”

“Princess, you may be a foot taller than me, but I am four hundred years older than you.”

I snorted. “Hm... perhaps. Anyways, I would not worry about relations. We don't-”

“And in these four hundred years, I have learned to detect a lie pretty damn well. Don't mistake my informality for stupidity.”

“I didn't mean to offend you, rocesse.”

“I'm not offended. I expected such a response. You're so much like your father when he was young.” Recel sighed and shook their head. “But you weren't broken by war. I think there's still hope for you.”

“Hope? What are you talking about?”

Recel swam closer to me, their light bouncing against my forehead. I was surprised to find that it was cool, not burning hot as I expected.

“Jeque, you may lead your little party outside. I wish to speak with the princess alone.” they said, their voice suddenly dropping an octave.

The tallest (well, as tall as a morsson can be) nodded and they all swam out of the hall except for Recel. I was alone with them. It was then that I realised that there were no guards in the room.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

My hand instantly reached for the handle of my dagger, only for the weapon to be knocked out of my hand with a quick strike from Recel's jagged fin.

“Don't. I don't want to fight you.” they said calmly.

“How do I know that you aren't going to kill me?”

Recel just looked at me and shook their head.

“Princess, if I wanted to kill you, you would be long dead. I do have a poisoned sword on hand should I need it.”

“...Right. Well, why did you have them leave, then?”

“Cause I didn't want them to hear what I'm about to say. Look, I know that you don't want to kill the cecaelia. I can sense it.”

I frowned. “I will do my duty to my father, whether I want to or not.”

“But your father doesn't always know best, princess.”

“Are you questioning my father's authority?”

“Maybe I am.” Recel sighed and crossed their arms. “Princess, listen to me. Killing the cecaelia will be political suicide. Samra may be a gentle giant, but trust me, you don't want to mess with it.”

“It will be a good message. The Sameer can't just grow to be more powerful than us without facing consequences.”

“Is that your opinion? Or are you just regurgitating your father's words?”

I went silent at that. After a moment, I spoke up.

“So what do you suggest?”

“Return them home. If nothing else, it will allow you to learn about Samra. It is wise to know your enemy.”

“I suppose that's true...”

“Your father can't know of this. He'd never accept.” Recel said firmly, “Think about it. I'll give you an hour to consider it and pack your things if you agree.”

“Pack my things? But why?”

Recel smiled. “I'm bringing you and the cecaelia back to Sprille.”

“Sprille? But... but how would we get there? We'd be caught within a day.”

“You underestimate my abilities. We aren't just small to look cute, you know.”

“I should hope not. Cute is the last word I'd use to describe you.”

Recel burst out laughing. “Oh, you should see me when I'm in a bad mood, then.”

“I think I'll pass.”

“Well... I'll let you think everything over. We're leaving in one hour exactly. Choose wisely, princess. Your decision will affect more than just Tr'Ta and Samra, you know.”

“I... I know.” I sighed. “I can't just betray my father, though...”

Recel placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled gently. “It will be hard. Don't worry, I will accept your answer regardless. It's not like we'll declare war if you decline. This is all in your hands.”

With that, Recel turned and left the hall, vanishing into the darkness.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

I sat alone on my bed, my tail flopping absently against the mattress. What was I supposed to do? I only had an hour to decide my course of action. But how could I decide in an hour? There were so many things to take into consideration. I sighed and picked up a parchment, starting to jot down notes. Maybe if I could get my thoughts organised... On one hand, Recel had a point. If I killed the cecaelia, god knows what Samra would do in retaliation. Sure, Mira claimed that Samra had no government, but she was a prisoner. I couldn't trust her every word. And even if she was telling the truth, an unorganised mob of cecaelia could be even more dangerous than an army. And if that happened, we'd be alone. Recel may have said that they wouldn't declare war on Tr'Ta over this, but they certainly weren't going to take our side either, and Myaba hadn't had a military in over twenty years after their economy collapsed. Tr'Ta would have to fight on its own.

But what about my father? He would be furious. He wasn't killing the cecaelia to be cruel, he just wanted to protect me. How could I betray him? Even ignoring the shame I would feel, helping a prisoner of war to escape would be considered high treason, and I certainly wouldn't be spared the consequences just because I hold a position of power. The sentence was severe. The perpetrator would be tied to a rock and spikes would be drilled into them until they eventually died of blood loss. I shuddered at the thought. No, I couldn't do that.

I picked up the dagger from my cloak and clutched it to my chest, taking a few breaths. I could do this. This was for the better. I would kill the prisoners and everything would go back to normal. Even if there was a war, we could manage it. It wouldn't be our first.

I slowly swam down to the dungeon, trying to delay the inevitable for as long as possible. The water felt colder than I ever remembered and goosebumps appeared on my arms. Even if the room was well-lit, the lights seemed dim and even my own shadow seemed large and intimidating. God, what was wrong with me? It wasn't my first time killing. Why was it suddenly so hard?

It felt as if a tide was dragging me back as I tried to swim towards the cell that contained the two cecaelia. Inama was curled up on the little bed, fast asleep, and Mira sat at the foot, gently stroking Inama's hair. She glanced up when she saw me approach and smiled. The dagger glinted in my hand, but Mira's smile only flickered for a moment. It was uncanny how cheerful she was.

“I... trust that you know why I am here.” I said. My voice was huskier than it had ever been before, but I refused to admit that it was because of the thick lump that had formed in my throat.

“I do.” Mira said quietly, “I understand.” She looked directly into my eyes. “I do not hold it against you, Dzaka.”

Even when faced with death, Mira was still so soft and nurturing... No. Stop. I opened the cell door and swam inside, approaching Inama. I had never realised how tall cecaelia were. Even at twelve, the boy was the same height as me, and Mira towered over me like a giant. I unsheathed my dagger and held it to his throat, watching as a little bead of red formed on the edge of the blade. Why was this so hard for me? My hand trembled as I tried to push the dagger in further, but my arm wouldn't listen. I didn't know when I blacked out, but when I woke up, I was lying down on the floor of the cell as Mira and Inama fussed over me.

“Ah, you're awake.” Mira smiled at me and brushed some hair out of my face. “I suppose you wouldn't make a very good executioner, would you?”

I groaned and hid my face in my hands. This was so embarrassing... I suddenly sat up and looked at the two cecaelia. “We... we have to go.”

“Go? Go where-” I cut Mira off and grabbed her hand, leading both her and Inama out of the dungeon.

“I need you both to be quiet. I can get you past the guards, but they'll hear you if you make any noise.” I whispered. Mira translated my instructions to Inama and he nodded.

I led them down a dark corridor and opened a little trap door in the ceiling. “We have this exit in case there's an emergency and the guards need to evacuate.” I explained quietly. I swam up through the door, then helped both cecaelia to leave as well. I swam to the doors where Recel would likely be waiting, but no one was there. I looked up at the clock tower. Two hours had passed since I had spoken with Recel. The morssons were gone.

 


	7. Chapter 7

“Oh god...” I murmured, darting around. What was I supposed to do now? I couldn't just return the cecaelia to their cell. The guards will have noticed by now that they are missing, and I would be the prime suspect.

“Dzaka, what's wrong?” Mira asked with a frown.

I was far too stressed to bother scolding her for calling me by name.

“I... We were supposed to meet with some morssons... but they've already left.”

Mira smiled gently and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Don't worry. We'll figure something out.”

“How?”

“Well... do you know where they are going?”

I closed my eyes and tried to remember. “Well... they were going to bring us back to Sprille...”

Mira nodded slowly. “I would imagine that they are heading to Arcusse, then.”

“I suppose...” I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “What do you suggest?”

“We follow them.”

“Are you crazy?!” I quickly clapped a hand over my mouth when I realised how loud I was. “We'll be killed if we're caught!”

“And if we stay here we'll be killed. At least we can have a chance if we try to escape.”

I sighed and nodded. “Well... alright. I suppose you have a point.”

Mira smiled softly and took my hand. “Let's go. Take a few deep breaths. There's no point in worrying about something you have no control over.”

“Not everyone can be as obnoxiously cheerful as you, Mira.”

A light giggle escaped Mira's lips and she shook her head.

“No, maybe not. But you shouldn't have a heart attack over this.”

I didn't respond to that but started to swim away from the palace, Mira and Inama following close behind.

“...I've never left the palace alone before.” I confessed quietly.

Mira just smiled at me. “You aren't alone, Dzaka.” she said, taking my hand.

“It's my first time alone with someone who isn't Tr'Tan too. You and Inama were the first non-merfolk I've ever met.”

Mira looked at me in surprise. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I'm going to die soon anyways. I might as well get it off my chest.” I sighed softly.

“You don't know that.”

“Right. And tomorrow a krola fruit will fall on my head.”

Mira smirked. “Was that a joke, Princess Melodrama?”

“Oh, shut up. I'm not that bad.”

She just hummed and rolled her eyes. Inama remained glued to her side as we swam, sometimes eyeing me uneasily. Not that I was surprised. I was only just trying to kill him.

After a few minutes, I came to a realisation. “I... I suppose that we should stay away from the roads. Guards will be looking for us soon, so we should be somewhere hidden.”

Mira nodded and swam off into a kelp forest. I had never seen a cecaelia swim before, and I found myself fascinated by her movements. She moved like how octopi did, her tentacles propelling her forward by pumping water behind her. It was... strangely beautiful.

I quickly shook my head to break myself out of the trance and followed her into the forest.

“Both of your tentacles are quite bright in colour...” I murmured. With Mira's lilac and Inama's neon yellow tentacles, the kept wouldn't do much to keep us hidden. “Here, you can cover yourself with this...” I took off my cloak and wrapped it around Mira's waist so she could still move, but was more hidden.

Mira nodded and picked a few strands of kelp before wrapping them around Inama's tentacles and holding him in her arms like a baby. “ _Mane_...” she murmured under her breath to him, kissing his forehead.

I paused and looked between them. “You don't look related, but you seem very close. What is your relation to each other?”

“He is my stepbrother. His mother married my father when he was a baby.” Mira answered with a smile, “He's been like a brother to me every since.”

I nodded and continued to swim. Mira's eyes suddenly widened and she tugged me to the ground. “Get down!”

We had just ducked out of view when I saw a whole army of merfolk pass on the road we had just been standing on, all of them armed. Once they had passed, Mira looked at me and sighed.

“It's a good thing you suggested we get off the road.”

“Yeah... Now we get to live for one extra hour.”

Mira laughed softly. “Oh, hush. I'm sure everything will be fine.”

Inama murmured something under his breath and nestled closer to Mira, half asleep.

“I envy him.” I commented quietly, “He seems so peaceful.”

Mira nodded and held him a bit closer. “It's all I can do to preserve his innocence.” We were silent for a moment, then Mira cleared her throat and spoke up again. “So... how long until we get to Arcusse?”

“At least a month. But we should be safe by the time we reach the Sprillien boarder, and that will only be a two week journey.”

Mira nodded and sighed. “Then we should rest. I think we are safe here for now. We have a long trip ahead of us.”

 


	8. Chapter 8

When I woke up, I found my tail tangled up in some kelp. I sighed quietly and started to untie it, trying to remain silent as I worked. No one seemed close to us, but I didn't want to take any risks. And anyways, I didn't want to wake Mira and Inama, who were still sleeping.

“Dzaka?”

I gasped and looked up, relaxing when I realised that it was just Mira.

“Don't scare me like that...” I murmured with a sigh.

Mira smiled and helped me to continue untangling my tail.

“How do you get this badly tangled?” she laughed.

“I don't know.” I sighed, “I guess I move around a lot in my sleep.”

“You don't say.” Mira shook her head and continued working. Soon enough, I was freed and I swam up a bit.

“I can carry Inama for a while, if you want.” I offered.

Mira shook her head and wrapped her arms around him tightly. “He'll panic if he wakes up in anyone else's arms.”

I nodded and continued to swim. Within a few minutes, we were deep into the forest. Kelp seemed to dominate every direction we looked in. When looking between stripes of kelp, all that could be seen was even more kelp. There weren't even any fish swimming around, although I wasn't surprised. The fish tended to migrate to Myaba at this time of year to lay their eggs.

“ _Tami_...” a small voice said.

Mira smiled gently and plucked a piece of kelp, feeding it to Inama. “ _Saf neda sz_.”

Inama nibbled on the kelp quietly, his eyes closing.

“He looks grey...” I murmured, placing a hand on Inama's forehead, “Ah... he's burning up.”

Mira frowned. “Are you sure? He never gets sick...”

“Touch for yourself...”

Mira touched Inama's cheek and sighed. “Oh, Inama...” she sighed quietly, “Not now...”

I thought for a moment. “We'll be passing a market soon. You two should stay hidden, but I can go see if I can find some medicine.”

“Dzaka, don't put yourself in danger.” Mira said quickly.

“I'll be fine. I'm already in danger as is. Might as well make myself useful.”

“Dzaka, don't say that!”

I turned to face Mira and placed a hand on her arm. “Mira, I'll be fine. I deserve whatever happens to me anyways.”

Mira frowned and pulled me into a tight hug. I froze up at the contact, unsure of how to react.

“I...”

Mira immediately pulled away when she sensed my discomfort and smiled at me.

“Sorry... I keep forgetting that things are so different in Tr'Ta.”

I nodded and looked away. “No... it's fine.” I looked between the two cecaelia, then swam away, pushing kelp out of my way as I worked my way towards the market. I kept my eyes lowered as I entered the crowd. Fortunately, we were pretty far away from Dzadas, so not many people recognised me.

I swam through the crowd fairly slowly and approached a stall that sold medicine. Deepening my voice a bit so it wouldn't be recognised, I spoke up.

“Do you have any medicine for fevers?”

The man behind the stall smiled at me.

“That we do, darling.”

I cringed slightly at the pet name but thanked him when he gave me a bottle of medicine. Once I paid, I held the bottle tightly and started to swim back towards the forest. I heard shouting from behind me, but said nothing. One man, presumably a guard, spoke louder than anyone else.

“Princess Dzaka has been convicted of high treason and sentenced to death.”

Tears pricked my eyes and I started to swim faster. The crowd suddenly separated when someone saw me and the guards raced after me. Clutching the medicine to my chest, I darted into the kelp forest. I knew they were following me, so I moved in a zig-zagging motion through the forest. Once there was a bit of distance between us, I laid down on the ground and nestled into the sand so it covered me completely. There would be a slight mound where I lay, but hopefully they wouldn't notice. My heart pounded in my chest and I could feel my blood rushing in my head. I heard voices getting closer and I held my breath. Even if they couldn't hear my breath, I felt certain that they would notice me trembling beneath the surface or hear my heartbeat. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they could hear it all the way in Sita.

They were right above me now. I could hear them. Even if they weren't speaking anymore, I could hear their breaths, the jerking movements of their tails as they tried not to lose their tempers. For what felt like an eternity, they remained, just sitting there. But eventually, they started to swim away, back to the market. Tears streamed down my face and I took a deep breath. Even after I could no longer hear them, I remained under the sand. I was terrified that they'd return as soon as I emerged.

A few minutes later, I got up and shook the sand off my body. It was still ingrained in my hair and clothes. Sand filled my mouth and nose, stung my eyes. I didn't care, though. I was alive, and I had never felt quite so grateful for that simple fact in my life.

 


	9. Chapter 9

“Dzaka, what happened to you?!” It took me a moment to realise that Mira was speaking to me, and another one to fully process what was being asked.

“I... I... what...?” I felt dazed, like I couldn't even focus on what I was doing. Mira placed a tentacle on my cheek. Without really realising what I was doing, I couldn't help but lean into the warm touch.

“Your cheek... it's bleeding.”

“It... it is?” I brought a hand up to touch. Sure enough, a warm liquid was seeping out into the cool water around us. “Oh... I must have scraped it on a rock or something...” I vaguely remembered something sharp touching me while I was hidden under the sand.

“God, Dzaka... I shouldn't have let you go off on your own.”

“Having you there wouldn't have helped anything. It's best to be alone when trying to stay hidden.”

“I suppose... But still... I wish I could have done something.”

I smiled and reached up to touch the tentacle still pressed against my cheek. “Don't. I brought this on myself. Besides, I would have worried too much about you.”

Mira sighed and took a piece of kelp, pressing it against the cut to stop the bleeding.

“It's pretty deep. It will probably leave a scar.”

I shrugged. “I don't care. I have plenty of scars already. There's no such thing as a warrior with a flawless complexion.”

Mira laughed at that. “No, I suppose not. That's why I make a better artist than a fighter.”

“You're lucky, then.”

Mira's eyes glimmered. “Perhaps. But you could be the same, you know. Who says you have to be a warrior?”

“My father.” I said with a huff, “I can hardly go against him.”

“If that were true, my brother and I would be dead.”

I considered that for a moment. Now that I was on my own, I no longer had to listen to what my father wanted. The concept was strange. My whole life until now had revolved around pleasing my father. Trying to prove to him that I could be just as good as the son he had wanted so badly. But now that I had betrayed him anyways, I could just be myself. But what did that mean? I realised that I had no idea what my identity was outside of the palace.

“This is all that I have left.” I said at length, “I... I can't really lose everything in one day. I already don't know who I am. Don't make me question my profession as well.”

Mira sighed and squeezed my hand. “I'm sorry. Let's just keep going, okay?”

“I... okay...” I murmured, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding, “We're getting close to Kimja. We can rest there for a few days. It's about the halfway point between Dzadas and Viakiss.”

“So the total distance is about double the distance we've traveled. But we still have to get from Arcusse from there, and that's a rather long trip too.”

“But we'll be in Sprillien territory. We'll be safer there.”

Mira nodded. “That's true. Do you think Inama will be able to heal there?”

“I hope so. I think Recel knows that we're coming.”

Mira smiled and let go of my hand. “Let's hurry to Kimja, then.”

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

“Hello, how can I help you?” the elderly mermaid said at the front desk of the inn I had found. I didn't want to stay in a major hotel and risk being spotted, so I was glad that I had found this little bed and breakfast-type place near the kelp forest.

“We would like to book a room for three nights.” I tried to disguise my voice a bit, even if I knew that no one here would recognise it.

“Alright. Would you like one king sized bed or two double beds?”

“Two doubles.” The three of us wouldn't fit in one bed.

“Alright. I will need a few minutes to get you organised. Feel free to help yourself to some cookies in the meantime.”

I was too nervous to be hungry, but I grabbed a couple of cookies for Mira and Inama before meeting them in the back corner of the room.

“How is Inama feeling? Do you think he can eat something?”

Mira sighed and nudged Inama, murmuring something under her breath to him in Sameer. A slight smile crossed her lips when he responded in a hoarse voice and she broke off a piece of cookie to feed him. I wanted to say something, but didn't want to interrupt their first conversation since Inama had fallen ill. Mira glanced at me.

“Dzaka, if you want to say something, go ahead.”

“I... It is rather inconvenient for Inama and I to be completely unable to communicate with each other, so... I was wondering if you could teach me to speak Sameer.” My cheeks flushed as I spoke. I felt silly, asking for such a trivial service when Mira already had so much more to worry about. Still, she smiled.

“Of course. I think we'll have plenty of time before reaching Arcusse.”

I was about to respond when the receptionist called me over.

“Alright, your room is ready. Go upstairs. It's the first room on your left.” She handed me a key and smiled. “Enjoy your stay. Breakfast is from seven to ten thirty.”

I took the key and nodded in thanks before heading up to the room with the cecaelia. Mira immediately laid Inama on one of the beds and covered him with the deep green blanket, putting some of the decorative pillows aside.

“I'm glad that he's doing better.” I said, sitting down in an arm chair. Mira swam to my side and sat perched on one of the arms of the chair, her tentacles curling worriedly around the legs.

“I think it's just the exhaustion that got to him. The rest will be good for him. It's strange, he never gets sick...”

“Tr'ta and Samra have never been close trade partners. It's quite possible that there are common illnesses here that you aren't accustomed to, and the opposite in Samra for me.”

“I suppose...” Mira sighed. “I'm sorry about all of this. We've caused you so much trouble.”

I found myself shaking my head before I even knew what I was saying. “You've opened my eyes to new perspectives I've never seen before. I... I still may not understand everything about your culture, but it isn't so frightening anymore.”

Mira laughed. “I wish I could say the same about yours, but my only real Tr'tan experience was held in a dungeon.”

“Fair enough. Then I hope that someday you'll be able to explore Tr'ta without fear.”

“I do as well. And I hope that someday you will be able to go to Samra and experience the real thing. It isn't nearly as run down as you've been told.”

“That's what I'm supposed to be afraid of.” I smirked, “But yes, that would be lovely. Someday.”

“Someday.” Mira agreed.

 


End file.
